


Too Young

by YoroiNoKyojin



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, One Shot, Workplace Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-02 14:43:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21163346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoroiNoKyojin/pseuds/YoroiNoKyojin
Summary: "Just go buy her a drink."When Benjamin Solo was forced to join his coworkers at a bar for a 'company meeting,' he hadn't expected to find a possible romance there, too.Reylo. Fluffy, cute, bantering. Based on the song "Too Young" by Phoenix.





	1. Chapter 1

##  _ ** Too Young ** _

* * *

"Just go buy her a drink. Say hi."

_"No."_

God, he was getting annoyed. He hadn't even wanted to come in the first place. Why was he here again? ... Right. Hux, bastard that he was, declared this a mandatory company meeting and all employees who didn't show would receive 'disciplinary action.'

But a bar? A bar, of all places? _Really?_

He'd stopped trying to understand the ginger's thought process ages ago. Instead, he opted to sip his whiskey and keep to himself... but his borderline-drunk coworkers were making that very difficult. One in particular, a blonde by the name of Gwendoline, was not trying to convince him to make moves on a brunette over at the bar.

"You're going to be a single virgin for the rest of your life if you don't man up and do something," Gwen hissed.

He wasn't a virgin, but he didn't bother correcting her. He just ignored her until she gave up, huffed, and left the table. Peace... and quiet. So there was a god after all. He took another sip of his drink and closed his eyes, relishing in his (relative) solitude.

"Hey... uhh, thanks."

His eyes opened.

Standing in front of his table was the pretty brunette from the bar, one hand holding a drink and the other resting on her hip. Thanks? _What?_

_"What?"_

Her eyebrow raised skeptically. "For the drink? Your blonde friend told me you bought it for me."

He stiffened. _Damn it, Gwen. _His dark eyes narrowed on the stranger and he scowled. "Do you really believe that? Because you don't _look _stupid."

The brunette's lips curled into a small smirk. "Actually... she paid me to come bother you," she said matter-of-factly. "Said you were an asshole and needed to learn to relax. I'm guessing she's right."

Then she sat down across from him, getting comfortable.

His eyes narrowed into slits. "What do you think you're doing?"

"My job," she answered, nursing her drink. "I can't very well shirk my duties if I've been paid, can I?"

"Dear god," he groaned. "Unbelievable..."

A pause. "What's your name?"

"... Are we really going to do this?"

"Yes."

He grunted. "... Ben."

"That's my grandfather's name," she said thoughtfully. "Well, nickname, actually. I'm Rey. Rey Kenobi."

"Hmm."

She remained quiet, but didn't look uncomfortable. In fact, she looked rather... smug. She was enjoying his irritation. He didn't like it, not at all. Ben opened his mouth to tell her off when something she'd said finally caught his attention. "Wait -- Kenobi? As in Obi-wan? The war hero?"

"The one and only," she replied with a grin. "My grandfather."

"Hmm."

"Why?"

Silence. Then, reluctantly, "I know him. He's... best friends with my grandfather. Met him a few times."

She swished her drink around in the glass in her hand. "Shouldn't we have met each other before now, then?"

"I don't go out much."

"I gathered."

"Hmm."

"So why?"

He heaved a sigh. "... Why what?"

"Why _are _you such an asshole?"

He nearly spit out his drink. His eyes bugged out of his head._ "Excuse me?"_

"I'm fairly certain you heard me." A grin curled her lips.

His dark eyes narrowed irritably on her. The longer he looked at her, the more he noticed. Her brown hair was shoulder-length and pulled back into a half-ponytail, and her eyes were dark like his -- no... wait. When the light hit them, he realized they were hazel. A bright hazel. Gathering his wits about him, he retorted, "Are you going to psychoanalyze me now?"

"Do you want me to?" her grin turned into an outright smirk. Before he could answer, those hazel eyes lip up and she suddenly gasped, leaning forward in her chair. "I haven't heard this song in ages!"

"Huh?" He hadn't even been paying attention to the music. Hadn't been paying attention to anything, really... except her. That thought disturbed him.

Setting her drink down, Rey stood up and came around the table to bravely grab his hand. "Come on. We're dancing. Once song."

"Absolutely not." When she tugged on his hand, he remained immovable.

Her hazel eyes hardened and she gave him a fierce look. He'd never, ever admit it, but she looked... _hot _when she was glaring down at him like that. "Dance with me, Ben, or I'll tell your friend her mission was a failure and she'll spend the next two hours trying to find you another 'date.'"

He glowered. "... Is that a threat?"

"Yes," Rey replied with a confident smirk.

He scowled at her like a cornered dog before finally allowing the brunette to tug him to his feet. He reluctantly followed Rey to the dance floor, shuffling the whole way. "I don't dance," Ben said loudly over the music as she turned towards him and began moving to the beat. Their height difference was quite obvious now; he stood well over a full head taller than her, and had to hunch his shoulders to try and stay on her level.

"You don't have to be good at it to have fun!" was her reply as she lifted her head to grin at him.

"I feel like an idiot," he continued, but started moving slightly anyways. Her laughter was infectious; he even cracked half a smile... once. He blamed the alcohol.

Several drinks and an entire song set later, Ben wiped some sweat from his forehead and went to the bar to order another shot for Rey and himself. "Two shots of--"

"Hey," Rey said breathlessly as she half-ran, half-stumbled over to him. She grabbed onto his shirt to steady herself, and the contact made him feel warmer than the alcohol could. "My ride is here."

"Oh." he blinked. He wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or relieved.

"I'll... see you again, sometime? Maybe?"

"Maybe." he paused. "Although next time, I don't think you'll be paid for it... so maybe you should reconsider."

"A _joke?_ Coming from _you?"_ Rey laughed, a bright, joyous sound. Ben couldn't remember actually enjoying hearing someone laugh until now. "We'll see," she said.

A moment passed.

Ben fully expected her to leave then, since she was very tipsy and her ride was waiting, but instead she boldly grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged him down to her level. "What--" he began, but he didn't get to finish his sentence...

... because suddenly her mouth was on his and his senses were so overwhelmed that he froze up entirely. He could smell her, feel her, _taste_ her, and Rey Kenobi was...

_... exquisite._

By the time he'd pulled himself together and snaked his arms around her body to pull her closer, she'd broken the kiss and was staring up at him with misty hazel eyes. "Dear god..." he found himself murmuring. "Unbelievable."

She grinned up at him... then she was gone.

While Ben stood alone at the bar, confused, flustered, irritated and slightly aroused, he heard some cat-calling from a table nearby. He looked over at the table and scowled; it seemed he'd completely forgotten about his annoying, drunk coworkers...

"Benny boy is finally getting laid!" Gwen taunted across the loud room.

He scowled. "Shut up."


	2. Lisztomania

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of Too Young. There were some requests to add to this story, so I decided to make a short and fun little Part 2. Let me know if I should keep this going! 
> 
> Reylo, fluff, banter, romance. Based on the song "Lisztomania" by Phoenix.

_ **Lisztomania** _

* * *

In the past month, Benjamin Solo found himself getting out much more than he ever wanted. He thought of all those quaint little bumper stickers that said  _ “I’m not anti-social, I’m pro-solitude,”  _ and immediately decided that was bullshit. He was most definitely anti-social. He didn’t like people, especially not his coworkers -- who, for whatever reason, decided they loved to drag him along anytime they decided to so much as go to the toilet. 

Ben didn’t like people; he didn’t consider people; he didn’t even  _ think  _ about people. Except for one. Rey Kenobi. He had her name stored in the back of his mind and it circled around to the front at least once a day. He couldn’t be sure why he was so interested in her, but he’d deny it to anyone who asked. And his coworkers asked frequently. “Did you get her number?” Gwen asked more than once, only to receive the same answer every time: 

_ “No.” _

Again, Ben didn’t like people -- so imagine his distaste when he’d been invited to a wedding in the family. Apparently, everyone would be there; even his distant family would be attending. A firm phone call from his mother let him know that  _ he  _ would be there, too, or there would be serious consequences. He was a grown-ass man. Why did his mother still have power over him? Oh, right; because she was scary as hell when she was angry. His dad was a gruff old bastard, but his bark was worse than his bite. His mom didn’t bite -- she struck like a  _ viper. _

It looked like Ben was going to a wedding.

\------------

A  _ vineyard.  _ The destination wedding was a California  _ vineyard.  _ Why California? California was hot, it was dry, and severely overrated. A dark cloud hung over Ben’s head as he adjusted his tie in front of the mirror of his small room. Lodgings were provided at the vineyard; apparently it was a popular place for weddings. An all-in-one. God, a  _ vineyard.  _ His cousin was apparently completely unoriginal. 

Tonight was the rehearsal, and still everyone was expected to dress their best; that was the requirement when you lived in a high-class, wealthy family. At least, he thought irritably, he had a room to himself. He had at least  _ one  _ space during this cheesy event that he could go to be alone. Finishing up, he carelessly raked a few fingers through his hair and headed out, yanking open the door a bit more fervently than required, and -- 

_ WHAP.  _ “Oi!” A person groaned from the other side of the door. “Watch what you’re doing, you bloody --”

Ben’s eyes narrowed. He knew that voice. He’d replayed it in his mind more than once in the past month. Slipping out of his room the rest of the way, he closed the door behind him and turned to face none other than the girl that occupied his thoughts: Rey Kenobi. When she noticed him staring evilly down at her, her own hazel eyes widened in recognition, before narrowing right back at him. “ -- asshole,” she finished.

His face darkened. “And what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same!” she snapped, before adjusting her dress almost self-consciously. Immediately Ben could see through the furrowed brows and the locked jaw. Was she…  _ nervous? Flustered? _

“My cousin is getting married,” he grumbled. “I don’t  _ want  _ to be here.”

Rey’s expression morphed into one of curiosity. “My brother is getting married,” she said. “He’s the groom.”

“My cousin is the bride,” Ben responded sourly.

“You really sound like you hate weddings.”

“Hmm.”

“Is it because you’re alone?”

Ben’s jaw locked and he shot her an evil look, but said nothing. Truthfully, he hated weddings because he hated  _ people,  _ but he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of a response. They both began walking in the same direction, as if on cue; Ben stuffed his hands in his pockets and ignored her. Their time at the bar came to the forefront of his mind, and he wondered why he so often wondered about her since then. It was clear that Rey Kenobi was smart-mouthed, belligerent, and argumentative.

But she was also funny, smart, and beautiful. 

His expression soured more and he tried to quicken his pace to lose her. She scurried along, keeping in step with him despite the fact that she was at least five inches shorter than him. If there was a god, they certainly weren’t giving him a fucking break. With her right beside him, he couldn’t take his mind off of that night. Their dancing. Their bickering. The feel of her body in his grasp as she kissed him. The intoxicating taste of her lips. The alluring haze in her hazel eyes as she pulled away…

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Rey commented.

“The only thing that won’t leave me alone is you,” he snapped.

“Give it a rest,” she argued. “I know you like me.”

Ben whipped around suddenly, withdrawing a hand from his pocket to point an accusing finger at her. “I do  _ not  _ like you,” he hissed angrily, dark eyes bulging.

The smirk that curled her lips was absolutely infuriating, and absolutely arousing. “Yes you do,” she said simply. “But I don’t like you.”

Ben hesitated. Memories of the night at the bar popped through his head in quick succession. “ _ You  _ kissed  _ me,”  _ he growled, keeping his voice low so their argument wouldn’t gain unwanted attention. “Were you really that drunk??”

Rey’s brows furrowed and she put her hands on her hips indignantly. “To kiss a grouch like  _ you,  _ I must’ve been!”

“Call me the GRINCH if you want!” Since he couldn’t yell, Ben simply leaned down to her level, his face coming dangerously close to hers. “And whether you want to admit it or not, you  _ liked  _ kissing a grouch like me.”

“And SO WHAT if I did?!” Rey raised her voice, leaning in as well; her words ramped up the hostility between them -- and Ben immediately realized that the tension had leaned away from anger and more toward… something else. He was suddenly very aware of their proximity; he could smell the sweet scent of her shampoo, could see the light dusting of freckles on her cheeks, could hear her labored, agitated breathing. He knew then and there that he didn’t hate her, not at all; in fact, he wanted her.  _ Every inch of her.  _ In more ways than one. 

“Then do it again,” he found himself murmuring before he could think properly. 

“Isn’t it your turn??” Rey countered, her eyes drifting down to watch his lips.

“You’re absolutely insufferable,” Ben growled, acting on instinct. One hand wrapped around her waist, tugging her up against his body, and the other latched onto her hair so he could tip her head back and lean down to claim her lips. His kiss was hungry, almost desperate, and she responded with equal fervor, her hands coming up to tightly grip the lapels of his suit. Tasting Rey again was like taking a sample of his favorite bottle of wine; he could still recall the flavor as if it were yesterday, but relished in taking a fresh sip. She was sweet, she was smoky, she was delectable. He wanted to taste her till the day he died.

Before he knew it, the hand in her hair was moving in to cup her face, a thumb hooking at the edge of her jaw while he slid his tongue along her lower lip, both demanding entrance into her mouth and savoring her flavor. This earned a hum of pleasure from her and she obediently parted her lips, her own tongue bravely snaking out to brush against his. A low growl rumbled in the back of his throat and he hungrily wrapped his tongue around hers, the two lithe muscles battling for dominance, before he allowed himself to explore the rest of her mouth, which was just as honeyed as her lips. 

There was a god, and they were showing him the ultimate kindness.

A sudden voice caused him to break from the kiss, panting and hazy-eyed. “Ben?”

Once he looked over, his face went white as a sheet. Mortification tensed his shoulders and rolled down his spine. “Grandfather?”


	3. Love Like a Sunset, pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding rehearsal continues. Perhaps Rey and Ben can learn to understand one another.
> 
> Reylo, fluff, hurt/comfort. Based on the song "Love Like a Sunset, pt. 1" by Phoenix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey folks. Thanks for reading. Honestly I have no earthly idea what I'm doing considering I never intended this to be more than one part, but the encouragement I've gotten has inspired me to keep writing this steaming pile of lovely trash. So I hope you like part 3. There will be at least 1 more part, maybe more; I haven't decided yet.
> 
> All the chapters are based off songs by the band Phoenix -- highly recommend listening to them while reading!

** _Love Like a Sunset, pt. 1_ **

* * *

Ben couldn’t say he’d ever been more embarrassed in his life as his grandfather, Anakin, looked at him with raised eyebrows and a knowing smile. Immediately he retracted that thought when his grandmother, Padme, came around the corner. “Anakin, dear, have you -- Oh!” The look of surprise and then delight that came over her caused Ben’s pale face to grow hot with a blush and he immediately yanked himself away from Rey as if she’d burned him.

“I was beginning to wonder if they’d met,” Anakin said to Padme as she looped her arm lovingly in his own. “I would guess that they have.”

“They seem to know each other… very well,” Padme agreed with a girlish giggle. They turned and left quickly, presumably to make their way to the rehearsal dinner, but Ben stood rooted to the spot.  _ What the hell just happened? _

Rey’s voice broke him from his anguished inner thoughts. “We’ll be late,” she said, her voice surprisingly even. Ben looked out at the setting sun and his expression darkened. Without uttering so much as a word to her, he turned and stalked off to get to the gardens before he was deemed late, and even though she hurried along beside him, Ben pretended she didn’t even exist.

\------

All the way through the vineyard to the gardens, Ben thought long and hard about what the hell was going on in his head. He was treating Rey like dirt, and yet he couldn’t get her out of his head. Did he like her, or did he hate her?? Ben finally came to the solid conclusion that he had absolutely no idea. All he  _ did  _ know was that he wanted to kiss her every day until the day he died, but he wasn’t sure if that qualified as true infatuation or just some weird animal lust. He hated people. He was perfectly content being single. So why did he feel the urge to take her hand in his own? And why was he so angry about all of it? Confusion was frustrating, he surmised. And he most certainly was  _ confused as shit. _

The dining tables were set with white table-cloths, lavender candles, and place-holders for every guest. Ben found his name on a quaint little place-card… at the same table as not only Rey, but  _ his  _ grandparents and  _ her  _ grandparents, too. 

Oh,  _ God. _

Ben sat stiffly next to his grandmother, and the greying woman focused wise brown eyes on his face, a smile curling her lips. “Are you alright, Ben?” she asked quietly as all the guests murmured amongst themselves. Ben glanced furtively over at his grandfather, who was chatting amiably with Obi-wan -- Rey’s grandfather and Anakin’s best friend. 

“You weren’t meant to see that, earlier,” he said, fighting to keep the anger out of his voice. If there was anyone on the planet that Ben was gentle with, it was Padme.

“Oh, my sweet boy, we’ve walked in on your mother and father more times than we can count,” Padme replied with a chuckle; Ben glanced over to the next table to see his mother and father sitting next to and talking with his uncle Luke. Padme patted Ben’s shoulder comfortingly. “I won’t tell a soul. But…”

Ugh. Ben  _ knew  _ what she was going to say next.

“She’s a nice girl.”

“No she’s not.”

Padme smacked his arm lightly, but was still smiling. “Anakin and I have met her quite a few times. Did you know that Obi-wan raised her?”

Ben finally looked over at his grandmother with lifted brows. “No… I didn’t.”

Padme’s expression softened and sobered. “Yes,” she replied even more quietly. “Her and her brother’s parents died in a drunk driving accident when they were very, very young.”

“Hmmm.” Ben sat back in his chair, his dark eyes drifting across the table to land on Rey. She was listening intently to a story Obi-wan was telling, her hazel eyes focused on the greying man. They held a warmth in them that Ben couldn’t seem to look away from. And when she finally noticed him watching her, she turned her head to lock eyes with him and he found himself frozen in place. 

He could try to deny it all day long… but there was  _ something  _ between them. And he would only make himself extra miserable trying to run away from it.

Ben was knocked out of their staring contest by the squeal of the microphone and he found himself glaring at the stage. Aunt Mara gave it a test sound before giving everyone gathered a beaming smile. “Welcome, everyone, and thank you for coming!”

All thoughts of Rey vanished as Ben settled into the agony of rehearsal dinners.  _ So it begins,  _ he thought grimly.

\------

Ben had been smoke-free for four years now. Most days he didn’t miss it. Most days he’d make do with some other unhealthy habit.

Tonight, he wanted a damn cigarette. 

After the rehearsal dinner he had met all sorts of family members he really didn’t give a shit about, and endured a copious amount of threatening looks from his mother every time he said something impolite. It was enough to make him want to hang himself. Even meeting Rey’s brother Kenn, who seemed like a nice guy, was miserable due to Ben’s cousin Jaina joining the conversation and being her usual annoying, peppy self. 

He  _ needed  _ a cigarette.

But the vineyard didn’t sell them, and the nearest gas station was at least 15 miles away, so Ben found himself pacing his room and sucking angrily on a lollipop he’d grudgingly bought from the vineyard gift shop. But his room was  _ hot.  _ Why was California so damn  _ hot?  _ Ben yanked his door open and found himself in the evening air, which was only slightly cooler than his room; but at least this air was crisp and fresh and dry. Unable to stand still, he paced down the corridor, past several other rooms, occasionally glancing out at the dark sky which was littered with stars. The moon was bright and luminous and hung high in the sky, lighting the area well enough that he didn’t even need a flashlight to get around.

As Ben rounded a corner, he stopped in his tracks. Rey was sitting against the wall, still wearing her dress from the rehearsal dinner earlier, and had her knees pulled to her chest. Her toes were dirty from walking barefoot and her heels laid on the ground nearby, discarded haphazardly. Most concerning of all was the expression on her face. It looked like she’d just been… crying.

Ben’s eyes darkened and he huffed, moving to lean back against the wall beside her, still standing. His mood was so bad that he barely tasted the tartness of the cherry sucker that saturated his mouth. The pair sat/stood in silence for a few long minutes, just breathing in the crisp, slightly sweet vineyard air. Finally Ben pulled the candy from his mouth and mumbled, “so your grandfather raised you.”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm.” Ben’s eyes wandered the trees on the edge of the vineyard; they looked dark, solitary, and inviting. He could go into the trees and just not come back.

“He, ah…” Rey sniffled quietly. So she  _ had  _ been crying, just like he’d suspected. “He was the only thing I can compare to a father. I’m grateful to him. But some days I wish I had…”

Ben scoffed. “Coming from someone who does have a father… they can be overrated.”

He hadn’t realized how insensitive it sounded until after he’d said it. Glancing down at her, the angry look in her eyes confirmed that he’d been an ass. With a sigh, Ben slid down the wall to sit beside her, although his legs stretched out rather than being pulled to his chest. Silently, he offered the sucker to her.

She took it, popping it in her mouth. After a moment of smacking her lips, she said around it, “a big part of me wants to go into those trees on the edge of the vineyard and just…”

“... never come back,” Ben finished quietly. 

She nodded silently, before resting her chin atop her knees. After a long moment, she pulled the sucker from her mouth, smacked her lips again, and offered it back to him. He took it, popping it between his lips and tasting both the cherry flavor of the sucker, and her honeyed saliva. It reminded him of their kiss earlier, and his heart clenched uncomfortably in his chest. But he was too tired to get frustrated about it anymore. “Something happened at the rehearsal dinner,” he finally said around his lollipop.

“Yeah.” She seemed to hesitate. Then: “My brother.”

Ben arched a single brow, turning his head slightly to look over at her, a silent question burning in his dark eyes. Rey locked eyes with him for a brief moment before looking back out at the vineyard. “He’s… not what everyone thinks he is.”

Ben immediately understood. She didn’t have to say another word. He exhaled deeply from his nose and pulled the lollipop stick from his mouth. The candy itself had finally completely dissolved. He’d have to go get another. As his gaze wandered over the trees at the border of the vineyard once more, an idea struck him and he stood to his feet, brushing off his pants carelessly. “Be right back,” he said softly, shoving his hands in his pockets and retreating to his room.

Minutes later Ben came back, bearing not only two suckers, but a flashlight as well. He quietly gave one of the lollipops to her, before brandishing the flashlight. “Let’s go.”

Her brows furrowed. “What?”

Rolling his eyes, he stretched out a hand to her. “To the trees.”

Rey glanced down to his offered hand like it might be poison, before making a snap decision and putting her hand in his own. The contact sent shivers through him, and he pulled her to her feet, almost reluctant to let go. Rey looked up at Ben again, and this time, her hazel eyes, puffy and red from crying, were glowing with wonder and adventure. Seeing that look on her face brought an unbidden smirk to his lips. 

“To the trees,” she agreed.


	4. Love Like a Sunset, pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To the trees they went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: WELP. A heart to heart is never a bad thing. ❤️ I cant decide if I want to include shenanigans at the wedding, or if I want to just go straight to a time skip for the next part I have planned. Let me know in the comments what you guys would prefer!! And THANK YOU FOR READING!

_ **Love Like a Sunset, pt. 2** _

* * *

Rey hadn’t let go of Ben’s hand when they started walking; and while the feeling of walking hand-in-hand was foreign to him, he found that there was something about it that was… soothing. He sucked slightly less fervently on the new lollipop he’d put in his mouth, and his ache for a cigarette had decreased marginally. An odd feeling, being comforted by the presence of another; usually company was nothing but grating. 

They were agreeably silent as they trekked across the vineyard, and Ben made no moves to pull away from her strong grasp. Neither did she. That contact, somehow, seemed even more intimate than the kiss they’d shared only a few hours ago. At one point Rey nearly tripped as her bare foot got caught in a vine; instinctively Ben turned and caught her, her hands simultaneously coming up to grab his shirt for balance. Their gazes met briefly, and Ben found himself unable to breathe for that moment… then he turned back to the task at hand, helping her out of the hole and continuing their journey toward the forest. “You know, you don’t need to hold my hand,” Rey finally said, her voice holding a hint of amusement. 

“Shut up,” Ben griped. “I don’t see you making any moves to let go.” The only response he received was a soft chuckle.

The flashlight was dim and only gave him a vague view of the trees up ahead; most people, he felt, would think twice about entering a dark forest, especially without knowing what sorts of creatures resided within. Ben felt comfortable in the darkness, however; he always had. While Rey made no protests, he did feel her grip on his hand tighten as they approached the tall, looming pines. The air around them changed as they invaded the forest, becoming thicker and cooler. An owl hooted in the east, and another owl responded from the west; something scurried past the tree in front of them and Ben halted only briefly, shining the light on the ground. “Just a rat,” he guessed.

“Your brother,” Ben began quietly, having polished off another lollipop and stuck the wrapper in his pocket. Though his gaze wandered the surrounding forest, his ears were perked for any response from Rey.

Rey’s hand grew stiff in his own. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she ground out.

“Fine, don’t.”

“Fine, I  _ won’t!” _

_ “Fine.” _

After a moment of silence, he heard a sigh. Rey’s voice wavered. “The only reason I came to this stupid wedding was because my grandfather insisted I come,” she explained, keeping a death grip on his hand. As if she was afraid to let go or she’d drift away in a river of her own pain. “I’m not close with my brother at all.”

“Hmmm.” 

“He… He left. When my parents died. He’s a lot older than me so he was old enough to get out on his own.” Rey’s voice was weak. 

Ben’s brows raised and he glanced back at her to find her eyes filled with tears. “I thought your grandfather raised you both.”

“My grandfather raised  _ me,”  _ Rey corrected with a sniffle. “Just when I needed him most, my brother left. He  _ abandoned  _ me. Only a year or two ago did he even bother to try and make contact. My grandfather is a good person, so of course he forgave him and welcomed him back… but I…”

“... haven’t forgiven him yet,” Ben finished pensively.

“Yeah.”

Suddenly Rey tugged hard on his hand, stopping Ben in his tracks. “What the--” he glanced back, irritated, to find her eyes wide with fear. 

“I see… a pair of eyes,” she murmured, pointing up into the upper branches. Ben’s eyes followed her finger up into the darkness, and a bright pair of luminous yellow eyes were staring at them. Ben directed the flashlight up to it to reveal an owl. It ruffled its feathers indignantly and turned away from the light. 

Ben slowly turned his head, narrowed eyes focusing on her face. “An owl scared you shitless.”

Rey pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes right back. “At least it’s an owl that scares me and not my own  _ mother,”  _ she countered.

His eyes practically bugged out of his head. Her counter was so clever, so abrasive, that he found himself spluttering for a comeback and unable to think of a single  _ god damn thing to say.  _ Finally, he settled on the ever-so eloquent, “Say that to my face!”

Rey’s lips curled into a smirk and she took one step closer to him, and then two, and she tipped her head back to look him right in the eye. “I don’t think I need to repeat myself,” she said smugly. The hand that had previously been clenching his own drifted up to prod her index finger against his chest. Ben could see a myriad of emotions reflected in Rey’s hazel eyes as she leaned up on her tip toes to tilt her face dangerously close to his own; he saw confidence, self-satisfaction, humor, a hint of admiration, and maybe even desire.

He felt his own pulse quicken, his breaths coming in short pants as his dark eyes wandered between her eyes and her lips. Those succulent, delectable lips. When his gaze drifted back to her hazel hues, he found his own molten desire reflected in them. That tension arose once more, and he stood rigid, willing himself not to act on it. The middle of a dark forest was not the best place to commit an act of passion. 

Finally Ben dragged his eyes away from her face and pulled back, letting out a ragged sigh.  _ God.  _ “Don’t do that,” he warned her angrily.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rey replied indignantly, hands coming to her hips now. Suddenly Ben’s eyebrows raised in surprise —

— standing there, with self-righteous indignation on her pretty features, Rey looked exactly like —

—his mother.

This made Ben the ‘Han’ in this situation, he realized, and he didn’t know how he felt about that. His parents had had their ups and downs, but they’d worked through it all and had successfully grown old together. At the same time, they were  _ annoying as fuck.  _

Gritting his teeth, Ben simply hissed at her and turned away to continue exploring. After a while, the beam of the flashlight flickered before going out completely. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Ben griped out loud, before tossing the useless object into the nearby bushes and plopping down to the ground, his back against the trunk of a pine. Rey shortly joined him, her shoulder brushing against his as she sat beside him. 

“I can’t see shit,” she said.

“Nope.”

“I don’t know. This is kinda nice.” He could feel the shrug of Rey’s shoulders. Her voice was nonchalant, her body relaxed beside him. Something about her calmness affected him, loosened his shoulders, drained the tension from his neck. And yet this same woman had the power to get him more riled up than the entirety of his family combined. 

“Yeah,” he agreed solemnly.

Rey silently placed her hand over his own, wrapping her fingers around his. Ben’s first instinct was to pull away but he remembered it was  _ her,  _ it was  _ Rey,  _ and his fingers warmed to her touch. 

He didn’t know much about her, and he didn’t really even know how he felt, either, but he knew this: Rey Kenobi was connected to him in a way that was impossible with anyone else. 

“You know what I hate?” Rey broke the comfortable silence.

“Hmm?”

“Birds.”

His face scrunched. “... what?”

“I guess it’s more accurate to say I’m  _ jealous  _ of birds.”

“Oh.”

“God, you’re talking way too much, Ben. Can I pay you to shut up?” 

“Hmmm.”

Rey reached over with her free hand and slapped his arm lightly. “Hear me out,” she explained. “Birds… well, they can  _ fly.”  _

“Astute observation.”

“Didn’t your parents ever tell you that if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all?”

“My mother always said that sugarcoating things was for babies, and my father said anyone who can’t handle your sarcasm isn’t smart enough to be around you.”

Rey laughed; a musical, comforting sound. He had been wanting to hear that laugh since that night at the bar, and he hadn’t realized it until just then, like a dying man in the desert who’d convinced himself he was fine until he took his first drink of water. “Birds can fly. They can get away from anything by just flapping their wings and soaring on the wind. They could go anywhere in the world.” A bitter sigh left her. “I want that.”

Ben leaned his head back against the tree trunk. “Become a pilot.”

Rey huffed in amusement. “I actually wanted to apply for flight school.” Her voice sounded unsure. “But the one in Massachusetts is really prestigious. I doubt they’d let me in.”

“Schools don’t look at talent, they look at money,” Ben replied dismissively. “Your grandfather could foot the bill I’m sure. You should apply.”

As soon as Ben finished speaking, he knew that was the wrong thing to say. Rey grew quiet. Biting on his lip, Ben struggled to recover. “Look— What I’m saying is, you can’t let fear stop you from living your life.”

Silence stretched between them. Finally Rey said, “isn’t that what you’re doing? By shutting everyone out?”

“This isn’t about me,” he hissed.

“Maybe it should be.” Suddenly Rey shifted her body, twisting her torso to face him, and she made it to where he couldn’t look away, putting her face close to his. Her eyes were beseeching. “I think the reason I like you so much is because we’re so much alike.”

Ben’s brows raised before his eyes narrowed on her. “You just said you liked me.”

Rey’s brows furrowed and that indignant expression returned. “That’s not the  _ point!” _

“You like me.”

“Argh! You’re infuriating!”

A hint of a smile lifted the corner of his mouth. Immediately her anger melted into amusement and she flicked his arm playfully, before turning back to her spot on the tree trunk. Ben noticed her grip on his hand had still not been relinquished. His fingers were starting to get sweaty, but he found that — oddly — he didn’t mind.

They sat there together, at the base of that tree, until Ben felt his eyes grow heavy. He doubted they’d be able to find their way back in this darkness; but to be frank with himself, he was rather content to just stretch out his legs on the forest floor and lean on the tree trunk with Rey. At one point, he felt her head drop onto his shoulder, and he listened to her even, slow breathing join the chorus of nocturnal animals singing their lullabies.

Even with a damned wedding tomorrow, and a growing relationship that was so simple yet so complicated with a woman that held such mysterious power over him, Ben wasn’t sure he’d ever felt so at peace.


End file.
